Lednice-Valtice Complex

The Lednice-Valtice Complex is located in the South Moravian Region, in the municipality of Břeclav. Its area measures almost 300 km². The area was the seat of the Lichtenstein family for a long time. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, they built an exceptionally large natural park with many buildings and natural monuments. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, parks were important for wealthy families’ representation. Designing such a park is a very demanding work, involving not only its technical aspects, but also economic, cultural and philosophical. It can take many decades. The complex’s current appearance dates mostly from the first half of the 19^th century and is dominated by Lednice Chateau and its vast English park and a unique greenhouse. The family’s chief architects Josef Kornhäusl and Josef Hardmuth designed the complex.

The complex consists of the municipalities Valtice, Lednice and Hlohovec, as well as Boří les, the Lednice fish ponds and a number of other buildings. The Neo-Gothic Lednice Chateau and the Baroque Valtice Chateau, both originally built in Renaissance style, dominate the entire complex. The large complex is complemented by smaller buildings or pavilions, scattered along the roads in the complex. For example, in the chateau park Lednice, they include Moor’s House, the Minaret, the romantic ruins of Neo-Gothic John’s Castle, the Hunting Lodge, a number of fish ponds, many valuable tree species and large French garden. Other noteworthy pavilions include the Apollo Temple, the Diana Temple, the Border House, Belvedere, Obelisk, the Three Graces, the Pond House, Lány hunting lodge, Pohansko hunting lodge, colonnade Na Rajstně and Saint Hubert’s Chapel. There are also some important archaeological sites in the complex (Pohansko fortified settlement, the fortified settlement near Nejedek) as well as natural monuments and reserves (the floodplain of the river Dyje, fish ponds, Květné lake, Pastvisko near Lednice, etc.).

In 2003, the complex was included into the Lower Morava Biosphere Reserve. In 1992, the Lednice-Valtice Complex became a landscape heritage zone and in 1996 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.